Aug 28, 2011 | All About VoIP
The launch of VoIP isn’t just about the introduction of a new communication system. It practically changes the way people do business and live their lives. Today they can enjoy very cheap calls even overseas as well as see a huge increase in productivity as VoIP is easy to implement and learn.
VoIP also has a huge impact when you speak about technology and the way mobile phone carriers perform in the market.
A long time ago, VoIP was a huge threat to traditional telephone companies until they have learned to adopt and offer cellular and Internet products and services to their subscribers. It’s a huge advantage for them as their profits grew.
But this isn’t really the case with mobile phone companies and carriers whose traditional mobile plans are threatened by the affordability and convenience of VoIP. Based on the initial reports of In-Stat, by 2013, VoIP applications for mobile devices will generate revenue of no less than $30 billion, and platforms such as Skype will continue to grow and expand not just their profits but also their subscriber base.
These mobile companies definitely understand they couldn’t shut mobile VoIP out of the way forever, so a number of them are already buying out providers. This way, they can reduce competition and take more control over how VoIP plans work.
Mobile firms, however, need to be more prepared before they can fully offer VoIP. For one, they need to have enough capacity to offer VoIP via WIFI since it’s a lot cheaper than 3G. They also have to develop technologies and processes that can sustain the massive use of bandwidth.
Aug 28, 2011 | All About VoIP
How is VoIP doing today? According to Paul Budde Communication Pty Ltd, VoIP is one of the leading communications systems in the world. It experienced solid growth and huge subscriber base in 2010, reaching over 20 million subscribers in the United States alone. Further, providers have introduced a variety of VoIP networks.
The Major Players
Though there are several VoIP providers online, there are key players who take up majority of the subscribers’ pie. Based on IBIS World report released in 2010, leading the pack are cable companies such as Time-Warner and Comcast. Vonage, which used to dominate the industry, placed fourth, lagging behind Cox Enterprises.
The Different VoIP Services
As expected, a huge percentage of VoIP services were delivered through cable. In fact, it garnered more than 50 percent. This was then followed by telephone networks, Internet, fiber optic, and mobile.
The mobile VoIP share doesn’t mean that it’s a failing network. It’s just gaining its momentum. A lot of experts believe that in the next few years, more subscribers will be rooting for mobile VoIP as more handsets (such as mobile phones and tablet PCs) can connect online via 3G, 4G, and/or WiFi.
Skype, a non-facilities-based VoIP, has also experienced massive growth. In a report published by Brockmann & Company in 2010, Skype has an average of over 120 million active users for every month Around 8.1 million of its users pay a fee.
The continuous rise of VoIP can be attributed to a lot of things. One is mobility. A lot of these providers have learned to make their services accessible anytime and anywhere. Also, because of competition, a lot of rates have gone down, making VoIP even more affordable.
Aug 28, 2011 | All About VoIP
VoIP is taking the business industry by storm. One of the main reasons is the different opportunities it presents to owners.
Joint Ventures or Acquisitions
With VoIP, two merging companies can properly settle logistical challenges brought about by their separate communications systems. They can simply decide for VoIP and create a single telephone structure for both. The same thing can also be said with company acquisitions. Though a time will come when pieces of legacy equipment have to be changed to new ones to increase productivity, the initial cost of setting up VoIP isn’t huge.
Lower Expenses for Businesses
Not everyone is going to enjoy lower phone costs, as these usually depend on the vendor and the rates owners have chosen. In general, though, VoIP can greatly reduce international or long-distance charges. You can also find providers that offer unlimited phone calls plus add-ons at a fixed rate. And since charges hardly ever change very month, it’s easy for you to financially plan your communication expenses.
Take Advantage of the Possible Growth of Mobile VoIP
Based on the rapid growth of mobile VoIP, thanks for Internet-ready mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablet PCs, experts think that the total expenditure for such infrastructure will total to $6 billion 4 years from now and the total subscribers will go up to tenfold in 2016. With the right technology in place and sound business mind, you can ride on to the wave, offering VoIP services to your customers, if not use the same tool to further increase loyalty and productivity among your employees.
Aug 27, 2011 | All About VoIP, Software, VoIP Getting Started
One of the biggest benefits of VoIP for large businesses is owners can easily ditch their costlier traditional PBX systems. This is because IP PBX can also work very similarly to the network (i.e., trunk lines and extensions) they’re used to. The only difference is that IP PBX allows owners to send voice and audio data over the Internet.
When you use VoIP PBX,
1. You don’t need to be highly dependent on your telephone company, which is basically the setup with a traditional PBX. You have a lot of control over the entire telephone system employed in your business.
2. You’re provided with several options. You can run VoIP virtually usually using a soft phone; or your provider can provide you with additional equipment, such as SIP phone, router, and VoIP gateway.
3. You can manage all your telephone systems. In fact, you don’t have to assign a telephone operator. You can be the one to keep track of the network by means of a graphical user interface you can now access remotely or online. Moreover, you can use the same panel in order to fine-tune or upgrade any or all of your telephone systems.
4. You can save up a lot of costs. You don’t get to manage only the telephone systems in your building but also those of your other branches, even the ones overseas. You can save a lot of costs by matching telephone area codes or encouraging PC-to-PC calls.
5. You can increase productivity. You can now further customize VoIP networks to perform additional functions. For example, you can configure it to pull out records in your system whenever a customer calls.
Aug 27, 2011 | All About VoIP, VoIP Getting Started
In spite of the popularity of VoIP, there are still a couple of business owners who are reluctant to adopt it. Usually, these are small and home business owners who believe they don’t have enough financial resources to run a VoIP network. Others charge the apprehension to lack of technological experience.
VoIP isn’t a perfect system. It has its own loopholes and glitches. In fact, it may not be as cheap as others would like to think. However, the benefits small and home business owners can take advantage are way more than the cons:
It helps you cut back on communication expenses. As mentioned, not all VoIP systems are cheap; that’s why you need to compare packages. In general, however, VoIP allows you to pay monthly fixed fees or per-minute charges for your long-distance phone calls. You can also find reasonably priced plans with unlimited overseas telephone calls.
For the equipment, plenty of providers can already give them in exchange for a lock-in contract. If you don’t want to be tied down to one provider, you can purchase them both online and offline. Because of stiff competition among suppliers, VoIP phone costs can be as low as $100.
It’s easy to expand your business. Almost always, VoIP upgrades are completely for free. You will simply be notified whenever new updates are available. Moreover, when you need to add additional phones or change your network, you can do so through a GUI. You don’t have to request for a technician, which is additional cost for you.
You don’t have to miss out any calls. You can now configure VoIP to redirect calls not only to another landline number but also to your mobile phone. You can also activate your voice mail and access messages anytime and anywhere.
You can run your business like a huge enterprise. VoIP offers auto-attendant, which provides a professional-sounding system to your network (it’s the one that says, “Press 1 for customer service,” etc.). You can also set up limited conference calls.
